I used to love the commercial where the guy would have to wake up at an insanely-early hour to go make donuts. He did this so the donuts would be fresh when all the morning commuters came in to grab a donut and coffee. Unfortunately, he didn't get up early enough to prevent Dr. Atkins and Starbucks from taking his customers! I digress. The commercial came to mind for this subject, because the guy looked so sad having to get up and go into work. Many of us face that feeling when we stroll in at 9am! The following tips are meant to help you put some fun back into your job.
1. Get Over Yourself: You are not all that! Okay, so you are a big important leader now. Good for you! But guess what, the world was turning before you became the boss and odds are it will be turning after you leave. Not to say that you are not making major contributions to your organization, but there is no benefit in getting caught up with how important you are - instead, be thankful to be in such a position to help so many people.
2. Be Goofy: Or Mickey, or Minnie. It is difficult to be animated and not have fun. Tell a joke once in a while. Even better, tell a bad joke. Make the bad joke at your expense and fun can't be far behind. Tell people about how you couldn't find your keys because you put them in the refrigerator. As a leader, you often focus on getting things done and getting them done right. Your staff might sometimes start to look at you as a constantly-perfect robot. It is not fun to be around someone that is always right (I don't know how my wife does it!) Show your goofy-side once in a while. But don't get carried away with this tip. Few people want to be led by the Nutty Professor!
3. Yoda Says: Don't try to have fun, do it! It may impress you that you have agreed to try and have more fun on the job, but I say you can show me better than you can tell me. If you are climbing Mount Everest, I will be impressed by you just trying, even if you don't succeed. That is a tough challenge. Having fun on the other hand, a good try is just not good enough. Have fun. Even if you are having a bad hair day. Even if you look fat in that outfit. Even if you rip your pants and everyone sees your Tuesday underwear (and it's Friday!) It's just fun, now have at it!
4. Hush Puppies: Compete for fun. My kids play a quiet game called Hush Puppies. I love when they play this game! Whoever stays quiet for longer wins! Great game. What is really cool about the game is that there is not much to the game. They are definitely in competition, but nobody wins anything and you can see the fun on their faces as they play. What competitions can you set-up for your staff that will not cost much and be fun at the same time, even if you do not win?
5. Take it Outside: Change the environment. If you normally meet inside, go outside (and visa versa). Change things up a bit. Heck, maybe even rent a school bus and have your next meeting in the bus! Put your team in a new environment and you are sure to spark some new energy. Take all of the chairs out of the conference room and invite people to sit, stand, walk around the room, or anything they feel comfortable doing during the meeting. I must warn you, there are bound to be groans from the skeptics, but if you lead your team based on avoiding the dreaded eye-rolls, get help for that! That is no fun at all.
6. Just Because: Do something for no reason at all. Announce that next Tuesday is crazy hat day - you could also tie that into tip #4. Or, put a cake in the break room for no reason at all. Just looking at a cake makes things seem better. Leave it blank, or you can write something like "Our team is so good, we can have our cake and eat it too!" When there is something to celebrate, receiving something is expected. However, doing something for no reason at all really hits home. That gives me another idea: pick up the phone and call someone you care about and say, "I just wanted to say I care about, love, and/or appreciate you." Stevie Wonder and I will be very proud of you!
7. Actually Make Donuts: Do a team building activity that doesn't relate to work. Ask everyone to come together to work on a non-work project. This will stir up some energy and creativity that will help people get more work done when they return to their desk, cubicle, or spot in the coal mine. Making donuts could be a great activity. Break into groups responsible for different steps in the process, or break into separate teams (see tip #4 again). What about designing a donut lto ike your company logo? Even if you do not like donuts, you can find so many fun activities to do with your team. Try to break a world record of some sort. After you are done, ask one of my favorite questions: "how does all of this relate to our work?! "
In the spirit of being fun, I would like to close with some words on fun from SpongeBob Squarepants, "F is for friends who do stuff together, U is for you and me, N is for aNywhere any time at all, down here in the deep blue sea!"